Buttery Oven Roasted Radishes

These oven roasted radishes with herb butter showcase crunchy, peppery spring radishes in the best possible way. They’re cooked in the oven to mellow their bite, then smothered in herb compound butter for an easy, outstanding side dish.

Adapted from Alice Zaslavsky | In Praise of Veg | Appetite by Random House, 2022

I’ve never been a radish aficionado–I find them to be too peppery and earthy. Nonetheless, I was intrigued by Alice Zaslavsky’s idea of roasting and tossing them in a creamy, herby butter.

Honestly, my expectations were low. I figured, at best, they’d be buttery and herby but still peppery and earthy.

Alas, no. Their tour of duty in the oven mellowed their bite, and the compound butter was the gild this lily needed. Specifically, the tarragon that tickled and lifted the dish.

I felt it needed a bit of acid, so I added lots of lemon zest and a squirt of lemon juice. A few grinds of pepper and a fresh sprinkling of sea salt, and we were in business.

Oh, the compound herb butter was so good and plentiful (we had leftovers) it turned a ho-hum bowl of mashed potatoes (is there ever such a thing?) into something wickedly delicious.

Why our testers loved this

The testers were smitten with the flavor of these oven-roasted radishes. They loved how the crunchy, spicy raw radishes were transformed in the oven and “lost their spiciness, and came out tender and a little browned with a hint of sweetness.“

Lisa A. joined in with her comment, “Roasted radishes become sweetly nutty, and they are a fine accompaniment for just about anything.”

Notes on ingredients

• Radishes–If you can find multi-colored radishes, they make for a stunning presentation, but regular red radishes will work fine here, too. Try to keep the radishes similarly sized (cut larger ones in quarters) so that they cook evenly. If you’re particularly sensitive to the heat in radishes, soak them in a bowl of cold water for 45 minutes before roasting.
• Tarragon–This herb has a licorice-like flavor that pairs well with radishes. If your tarragon is looking a little wilted, you can refresh the leaves in an ice-water bath for 15 to 20 minutes before using.
• Salted butter–The salt in the butter is extremely important for adding flavor to the radishes, which become quite mellow after cooking. If you are using unsalted butter, add an extra 1 teaspoon of sea salt to your butter when making the herbed compound butter.

How to make this recipe

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Trim the radishes and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size.
   
3. Toss the radishes with olive oil. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast until just tender.

4. Meanwhile, blitz the garlic, salt, and herbs in a food processor. Toss in the butter.
   
5. Pulse until the butter and herbs are thoroughly combined. Scrape the butter into a small bowl.

Recipe FAQs

Helpful tips

• Use leftover herb butter for topping garlic bread, spreading on corn on the cob, tossing with pasta, or topping grilled beef tenderloin.
• If you prefer crunchier radishes, reduce the initial roasting time by 5 minutes. Alternatively, for more tender radishes, cook them until they are fork-tender.
• Leftover roasted radishes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Compound butter can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 6 months.

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